1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating and cooling blanket that permits the user to selectively control the temperature at a level either below or above the room temperature in which it is used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art patents listed below deal with so-called electric blankets in which it is desired to furnish the necessary warmth to the user when using same. I have discovered that it is possible to provide in a single blanket the means for obtaining either heating or cooling, such that the person using the blanket may be effectively heated or cooled. Reference is generally made to a predetermined temperature level which for purposes of discussion may be the equivalent of the room temperature in which the blanket is used. Electric blankets as they are generally known, irrespective of the manner in which they are heated, are generally utilized to maintain the blanket at or above the room temperature.
In contrast to the above, there are those instances where it is desirable to obtain a cooling of the person such that the blanket may be used as a cooling blanket. The present invention in contrast to the devices illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,617,915; 2,753,435; 2,802,088; 2,885,189; and 2,982,841, provides this flexibility.
I have also found that certain individuals, either due to medical reasons or poor circulation in their body, etc., require or need to have their body maintained at a temperature differential. In this manner there is a need to provide in a single blanket zones that coincide with various portions of the human body and which are independently adjustable as to temperature. For example, if a person has poor circulation in their feet, they may wish the lower zone of the blanket maintained at an elevated temperature in comparison to the upper zones of the blanket. The blanket of the present invention permits the cooling of one zone below room temperature while maintaining another zone above room temperature.